Living with broken Dreams
by Ginger-bread88
Summary: Sequel to FoD. After their devastating parting Bo and Lauren must learn how to live their lives after experiencing the joys and anguish of their first love. Family secrets come to light and new loves help with the girl's/women's healing process. This is a time jump through Bo and Lauren's time apart until they reunite. THERE IS NO DOCCUBUS INTERACTION IN THIS FIC.


Bo lay in her bed on her back with her bed sheet bunched up around her waist. She looked up at the canopy above her head feeling dissatisfied. She turned her head on her pillow to look at the sleeping figure beside her, and then turned to look back up at the canopy blankly; she felt nothing. The only time her heart seemed to beat now was during her time with her many conquests and even then she was left feeling hollow. Bo inhaled deeply through her nostrils and reached for her bed sheet. She raised the sheet over her chest, making her hand come into contact with the star charm necklace that she always wore. Bo's jaw tensed as she took the charm between her fingers and tightly squeezed it. Things had changed drastically for Bo since Lauren had abandoned her. The brunette had refused to talk about Lauren with Dyson, and anytime the blonde popped into her head Bo had just done something or someone to try and distract herself from the pain that flooded through her whenever she thought about the younger girl.

A week after Lauren left, Bo had gotten herself a summer job in a bar in the neighbouring town. At night, she mixed and poured drinks for the customers. She joined in conversations and joked with the patrons; all the time while scanning the busy bar, looking for anyone that she thought might be able to take her mind off of things for an hour or so. She would go home with her pick of the night, then after she had finished with them she would climb out of bed, get dressed and walk home, hating herself for once again using a stranger for her own selfish needs. But by the next night, Bo would do exactly the same thing. It was an unhealthy cycle that eventually led to an explosive row with her mom.

Bo sighed and tightened her grasp on the star charm as she remembered the argument with her mom that had changed her safe and easy life.

_"Where have you been?" Mary Dennis asked as Bo trudged through the front door of her home at sunrise after a night of wild antics._

_Bo huffed and walked past Mary, who was standing in the hallway waiting for Bo._

_"Work," Bo sighed and started to walk up the staircase to go to her bedroom._

_"Don't you lie to me Ysabeau!" Mary shouted as she followed behind Bo up the stairs._

_"Your shift ended hours ago! You've being throwing yourself at men again haven't you?!"_

_Bo chuckled and shook her head as she walked down the hallway and into her bedroom._

_"I don't have to throw myself at anyone Mom; they're more than willing."_

_Mary suddenly grabbed her daughter's arm, stopping her from walking across the room, and spun Bo around to face her. _

_"Hey!" Bo protested, yanking her arm out of her mother's vice-like grip._

_"People are starting to talk about you, Ysabeau! You're disgracing this family and I will not accept that! You will quit your job and spend more time at home and church. I can't remember the last time you attended church and that isn't acceptable!"_

_Bo shook her head and frowned._

_"No way! I'm eighteen; I can do what I want!" she stated._

_"Not while you are living under my roof you can't!" Mary shouted. "What you are doing is disgusting! Spreading yourself around like a cheap harlot! You are not the daughter that I raised! What is wrong with you?!" _

_Bo laughed hysterically, tears welling in her eyes._

_"You're so blind it's unreal!" Bo cried out. "You can't even see how much pain I'm in, Mom! Dad sees it, and yet the one person who is meant to can't! I'm heartbroken, Mom! I'm hurting so badly I feel like I'm dying inside," Bo sobbed, tears now streaming down her face._

_"Oh, Ysabeau," Mary cooed, reaching up to stroke Bo's hair in a comforting gesture. "I wondered when it would all catch up with you. I was waiting, and I'm so sorry I didn't notice before, but you and Dyson are becoming close again. Maybe if you tell him how you feel he won't go through with the wedding and…"_

_Bo yanked herself away from Mary's touch and laughed._

_"My god!" she screamed. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't care about Dyson marrying Candace? I don't give a shit!" _

_"Ysabeau!" Mary scolded as Bo continued her rant._

_"It was never Dyson, Mom!" Bo said, finally needing to talk about what had happened with Lauren. "It was Lauren Lewis! I love her so much but she left me! I hurt her and she paid me back, I…" _

_Bo's speech was cut short by Mary swinging her arm and slapping Bo hard across her cheek. Bo gasped in shock and raised her fingers to her stinging, red cheek. She looked at her mom with fresh tears in her eyes. Mary looked at Bo with a cold, hard expression, her eyes narrowed as she stared at her daughter._

_"Get out," Mary said in a deathly quiet tone. "Get out of my house. You are no longer welcome here; I will not have one of your kind living in my house. Now get out!" With each word that Mary said, her volume increased; by the end of her sentence she was screaming._

_"Mom," Bo whispered and took a step towards Mary._

_Mary rushed over to Bo's closet and began yanking clothes off of their hangers. She grabbed a bag from the top shelf of the closet and began roughly shoving the clothes that into the bag._

_"You are NOT my daughter! I want nothing to do with you. Now, get out of my house!" _

_When Bo made no move to leave, Mary stormed over to Bo with the bag in her hand and began pushing her out of the room._

_"Mom, please, no!" Bo cried and tried to step past Mary to gain access to her room as Mary continued to push her away._

_Mary and Bo struggled down the hallway towards the staircase, Mary pushing Bo and Bo trying to fight her way back to her room._

_"Mom, please," Bo sobbed, tears cascading down her face._

_When Mary and Bo reached the top of the staircase Mary roughly pushed Bo down the stairs, causing her to stumble and miss a few steps._

_"You are no daughter of mine!" Mary shouted as they reached the bottom of the staircase._

_"No, Mom, no!" Bo cried as Mary pushed her down the hallway towards the front door._

_Mary quickly opened the front door when they reached it. Holding tightly to Bo's arm, she shoved her through the open door and tossed the bag of clothes out after her._

_"Leave, and never come back!" Mary shouted, slamming the door in Bo's face._

_Bo stood there, staring at the front door in shock. Her tears vanished as she took in her situation._

_"Get away from my door or I will call the police!" Mary shouted from inside of the house._

_Bo quickly stumbled backwards away from the door and picked up the bag. She began to walk down the footpath. As she reached the end of the footpath, she looked over her shoulder and took one last look at the house she had been raised in. Bo inhaled deeply and straightened her shoulders as she looked at the place she had thought was her safe haven. With a heavy heart, Bo turned her head and began to walk away from the house and town that she grew up in. She didn't look back again._

Bo had contemplated going to the Lewis's house; she knew without a doubt that Lizzie would have taken her in. But Bo didn't want to be surrounded by everything Lauren. She had enough memories to deal with without living at the home where they had spent their time together. So she walked out of town, away from everything that she knew, and hitchhiked across Canada until she reached Toronto. It wasn't easy for the young brunette, but she was determined to attend Humber even if trying to get there killed her. When Bo finally reached Toronto, she was hungry, dirty, and tired. She had run out of money the week before and had begun to beg for food or cash. On her first day in the city, Bo stumbled around, awed by what she saw. Everything she could ever want was right there at her fingertips. No longer did Bo have to drive hours to a store or mall; it was all right there on her doorstep and she loved it! Bo walked around the city for hours absorbing everything that she saw. Eventually, she came across a derelict building on the outskirts of the city. The place didn't look liveable, but Bo saw potential and, after breaking in and touring the building, she decided that the rundown house was going to be her new home. After a couple of days settling into her new place, Bo landed herself another job in a bar. She worked all the hours that were given to her and spent her nights as she previously had at her old job. September came and Bo happily attended Humber College. Luckily, her course fees had already been paid for by her parents before she had been kicked out. Bo had excelled in her classes. The professors and students flocked to the brunette. Even though Bo tried to keep her life private, people still wanted to get close to Bo. They wanted to know everything about her. She was invited to every party and social outing, but she refused on every occasion. Instead, she worked or stayed in and studied.

Bo shook her head on her pillow, trying to dispel the memories of her summer and autumn. She sat up in her bed and nudged the guy lying beside her. The guy opened his eyes and smiled mischievously at Bo.

"It's time for you to leave," Bo said, then climbed out of her bed. She pulled the bed sheet off of him as she stood and wrapped it around her naked body. She walked out of her bedroom, leaving the guy to get dressed

Bo was sitting on a stool in her kitchen drinking a glass of wine when her bed partner joined her. He walked over to Bo and held out a scrap of paper with his name and telephone number on it, smiling happily. Bo glanced at the paper with disdain, then looked at the guy and shook her head. The guy's smile quickly faded as he dropped his hand to his side. Bo watched as he shrugged, shoved the scrap of paper into his pocket, and turned and walked out of Bo's home. When the door closed behind him, Bo sighed and drained her glass. She stood up and walked over to her couch. Lying on her back, she looked up at the cracked ceiling above her, willing sleep to claim her so that she could leave another day behind.

Lauren sat in her private lab in New Haven looking into a microscope as people worked around her. She gazed at the slide under her lens and smiled happily, feeling ecstatic that everything she was working towards was coming together so quickly.

The night that Hale had driven her out of her hometown, Lauren had felt a sense of relief seep in through her numbness. She had successfully pushed away every feeling that she had for Bo and with every mile that passed between her and the town that she was leaving behind, she felt the heaviness that always seemed to be on her shoulders lifting. Her friends and mom had tried to question Lauren about what had happened with Bo as they drove to the airport, but Lauren had refused to talk about it. She gritted her teeth, shook her head and stared out into the night, ignoring any questions about the brunette. To Lauren, Bo was gone, in the past; a lesson to be learned. But as those thoughts ran through her mind, she had to fight to hold her feelings inside. She desperately clung to the numbness that had overtaken her at seeing Bo betray her by being in the arms of another girl.

Lauren and Tamsin had arrived in Mexico and were greeted by a chauffeur that drove them to their abode for the duration of their stay. The first person they had run into was the infamous Christophe. Lauren was shocked as the introductions were made. She hadn't known what she had expected, but it certainly wasn't a lanky twenty year old who looked like a strong gust of wind could knock him on his ass! Lauren took an instant dislike to the man and had tried to avoid him as much as possible during the vacation. A few days into their stay, Lauren and Tamsin were lying on lounges in bikinis by their private pool when Madeline approached them. She was Christophe-less, which was a surprise in itself since the man seemed to cling to Madeline wherever she went.

_Madeline stood over their chairs, blocking the sun and staring at the sunbathing blondes. Tamsin sighed as her mother stood and stared at them for a few minutes without saying a word._

_"Mother?"_

_Madeline ignored her daughter and considered Lauren, lying on her lounge chair._

_"Walk with me, child," Madeline ordered, looking at Lauren._

_Tamsin sat up in her chair and looked quickly between her mother and her best friend worriedly._

_"Why?" She asked._

_Once again, Madeline ignored Tamsin. Lauren cautiously scooted off of her chair and grabbed her shorts and tank top, pulling them on carefully. When she had finished dressing, she shoved her feet into her flip flips. Madeline began to walk away from them and Lauren trailed behind her. When they were out of sight of the pool, Madeline slowed her pace so that Lauren could catch up. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Madeline spoke._

_"You interest me, child."_

_Lauren looked at Madeline warily. "I do?" _

_"Yes. You see, you exude a certain quality. Many would not understand, but I do. I noticed it the moment I met you."_

_Lauren looked at Madeline, confused. But she remembered that Tamsin had said something similar to her once. _

_"What quality?" Lauren asked, intrigued._

_"Excellence," Madeline replied._

_Lauren laughed at the word and shook her head._

_"I think you might be mistaken."_

_"On the contrary. I looked into your background when I left your home to see if what I saw was true."_

_"Excuse me?" Lauren asked in shock._

_"Lauren Lewis. Aged sixteen, turns seventeen in less than two weeks. Your mother, Elizabeth Jane Lewis, works at the post office by day and at the diner by night to support you. Your father, Martin Harold Beattie, is of no interest to me since he has not being a part of your life, so let us not continue down that path. You excelled at a very young age and continued to do so as you have aged. Yale approached you when you were fourteen after reading an article you published on the internet. Selfishly, your Mother declined their offer and…"_

_"My mom did what she thought was best for me!" Lauren snapped, feeling the need to defend her mom to the woman beside her._

_Madeline waved her hand dismissively at Lauren's outburst._

_"And now, for the past year and half, you have being researching the Free Radical Theory of Ageing."_

_Lauren nodded slowly, not liking that Madeline knew things about her that weren't common knowledge to even her friends or her mom._

_"Tell me, Lauren. How is your research coming along?" Madeline asked curiously._

_"Ok…" Lauren replied cautiously._

_"Come, child. Just ok? I find that hard to believe after reading of your achievements."_

_"Ok, it's great. I've nearly completed my paper on my findings and I finished my research nearly a month ago."_

_Madeline nodded gently as Lauren spoke. "I'm interested, Lauren. Could your research find a way to stop the ageing process?"_

_Lauren shook her head. "Nothing can stop the ageing process. It's a biological necessity as we get older. I've been working on a solution that could slow down the signs of ageing, but not stop it all together."_

_For the first time during their meeting, Madeline grinned widely, showing her pearly white teeth._

_"Excellent" she said._

Madeline had begun to talk about how she thought Lauren should use her research to her advantage to create an anti-ageing cream. Lauren had chuckled at first, but she had soon realized that Madeline was being deadly serious. Madeline had explained to Lauren that she would be given her own lab, staff, and unlimited funding if she agreed to move forward with the venture. She explained that with the capital that Lauren would make if the cream was successful (which she knew it would be), Lauren would be financially stable and would never have to beg for research funding as many other doctors and scientist were forced to. The only thing that Madeline asked for in return was unlimited access to the product once it was produced. Lauren quickly agreed to the terms, and by the time her birthday arrived, the private resort that they were staying in was fully equipped. Lauren had all of the latest science equipment that she had only dreamed of before and a handful of staff at her disposal. Lauren spent the rest of her summer vacation stuck in the lab, working on the anti-ageing cream. She only came out when she was exhausted and needed to sleep, or when Tamsin would drag her out to eat. Tamsin often joined Lauren in the lab, labelling samples for her friend. When they left Mexico for their next destination, Lauren's lab was packed up and shipped. It was always set up before they arrived at the next resort. Lauren couldn't have dreamed of a better way to spend her summer holiday.

When the blonde duo finally landed in New Haven at the end of August, Lauren already had a private lab ready and waiting for her. Madeline had bought a three-bedroom apartment for the girls near campus with a maid and cook so that Lauren could concentrate on her studies and research and nothing anything else. Lauren quickly advanced in her classes. What would take the other students in her class months to do, Lauren did in a fraction of that time. For the first time in her life Lauren was popular because she was smart. The students in her classes wanted to be associated with her, and they praised her on her intelligence. But Lauren tried to avoid anything that would distract her from her research. Her work became her escape from reality. She used her work to distract herself from thinking about Bo. The brunette would often sneak into Lauren mind at unexpected times, but Lauren always tried to shove her back into the box that she stored her in. Occasionally she failed, and would sit in her home or lab staring off into space, thinking about the times she had shared with Bo. This inevitably led her to the times that she had found Bo betraying her. When this happened, it caused some of the pain that she had boxed up to leak out of its casing and seep into her veins, Lauren would then run to her lab or the library and throw herself into her work forgetting about the world outside and everyone in it, burying thoughts of Bo once more.

Lauren stood up from her microscope with a huge smile on her face. They were so close to finishing the anti-ageing cream. They were about to start the test runs of the product. Feeling invigorated, Lauren shook off her lab coat and began to walk out of the lab with a spring in her step.

_I can't wait to tell…_

Bo popped into her head. Her smile quickly faded. Shaking her head, Lauren walked back into the lab and pulled her lab coat back on. The thrill of her success diminished as she realised that she couldn't share her excitement with the one person that she wanted to. Lauren sat back down at her workstation and worked late into the night, until any lingering images of brown hair and hazel eyes evaporated from her mind.


End file.
